Without You
by BlackBeautyQueen33
Summary: Hotch doesn't know what he'd do without the sweet loving and quirky Penelope Garcia in his life.


**Well here's a new story (I'm at school and I forgot my USB) I hope you like it.**

 **Summary: Hotch doesn't know what he'd do without the sweet, quirky Garcia in life.**

 **Pairing Hotch/Garcia**

 **Warnings: None**

* * *

Garcia always tried to do her best to help Hotch out after the death of Haley. Granted, all the team did their best to help out, especially when we came back to work after a week off. But Garcia, by far she did the most. When the team had a case that lasted a whole week, Jessica was supposed to be watching Jack. When Hotch entered the house that Saturday night, he was surprised to find both Jack and Garcia curled up on the guest bed asleep.

"Morning Bossman," She greeted the next morning.

"Morning Garcia. Where's Jessica?"

Garcia smiled, "She called me asking me to watch him as she had been called into work last minute."

Hotch frowned and was about to speak when Garcia interrupted.

"She didn't want to bother you. She knows how much you are needed on the case. That's why she called me."

Hotch frowned but nothing more was said on the subject as Jack had woken up. Garcia proceeded to stay the whole Sunday helping out.

 **~~()~~()~~**

The next time Hotch noticed Garcia doing more than what was required of her was when he had gotten a flat and he knew he was going to be late. There was a budget meeting that he was supposed to be attending and he was going to be late to it if not miss it completely. When he entered the bullpen and ran upstairs to Strauss's office to apologize, he frowned. He spotted Strauss and Garcia talking, but that wasn't what had him frowning. He noticed a few people from the meeting going up to Garcia and speaking to her. One of them he distinctly heard telling her "You have some good ideas."

"Aaron, you made it," Strauss smiled.

Hotch nodded and walked over to them, "Sorry I had a flat. What's going on?"

Garcia handed him her notepad. On it was notes of everything that happened and what was said during the meeting.

"Garcia…"

"I didn't want you missing important information from the meeting so when you called saying you'd be late, I decided to go ahead and attend it in your place."

Hotch cocked his head, "How'd you know I had a budget meeting?"

Garcia blushed, "It was on a post-it on your desk when I entered your office to put some papers on it."

Hotch blinked but shrugged, took the notes and thanked her.

 **~~()~~()~~**

Hotch woke up that Wednesday feeling overheated. He opened his eyes. Jack was lying on top of him slightly whimpering. Sitting up carefully, Hotch placed a hand on his son's forehead. He was burning up. He sighed and without thinking he picked up his cellphone and dialed.

"Aloha mighty bossman."

"Morning Garcia. Sorry to call so early but I need your help."

"Say no more. Wonder woman to the rescue. ETA ten minutes."

Hotch chuckled and hung up before proceeding to wake his son. In ten minutes time, Hotch managed to get his son to take a quick bath, took his temperature (101.3), changed him in some dry pajamas and tucked back into his bed with a juice box.

"Hey Garcia. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Garcia smiled, "Nonsense boss, I'm here to help. What's the problem?"

"Jack has a really high fever. I think it's the flu, I mean seeing as it's that time. I would've called JJ but I know she's been having trouble with Henry's bedtime and she could use the sleep."

Garcia nodded, set down her bag on the table, and went to check on Jack. She smiled as she took the juice box and set it on Hotch's bedside and turned on the television. She ran her fingers through his hair before heading back into the kitchen.

"He's out cold. So you should go ahead and get going."

Hotch nodded, "I should probably call the preschool and Jessica."

Garcia smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, "Hotch, I can do that. You need to get your cute butt to work."

Hotch blinked but nodded and left the house muttering about the indecency of some coworkers. Garcia chuckled as she locked the door behind him and proceeded to call Jack's preschool, and his aunt. After that was done, she poked her head in Hotch's room to check on her little patient as she made her way to the bathroom. She grabbed the Children's Tylenol, and went to make Jack some soup. She grinned when she spotted a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup.

"Daddy?" Jack whined.

Garcia put the soup on low and went to the bedroom, "Hey Jacky."

"Aunnie Penny?"

"Yeah buddy. Daddy told me you're not feeling well. You hungry?"

Jack nodded and coughed. Garcia frowned and felt his head.

"Okay, I'm making you some soup but I need you to do me a favor first. I need you to take some medicine."

Jack whined, vigorously shaking his head no. It took about ten minutes before Garcia was able to coax the three year old to take the medicine. She then carried him to the living room and turned on Nick Junior. She finished up his soup and let him sit on the couch and eat it while watching SpongeBob. This how the two spent most of their day.

When Hotch came home around five-thirty, he found Jack laying his head on Garcia's lap as he snored away. Garcia was leaning with her head lying back against the couch. He chuckled softly, taking a picture with his phone before lifting his son and putting his son into his bed. He pulled out a blanket from the linen closet and covered Garcia with it.

"Thanks Garcia," he whispered before heading to his own bed.

 **~~()~~()~~**

The next time Garcia went above and beyond her job was when JJ left the team. The team had a case and she appeared in Hotch's office with her go-bags.

"Garcia. What's that?"

"My go bags."

"Where are you going?"

"With you, hopefully. Sir, I think we're all still reeling since JJ left, and we are a man down, and you need a communications liaison."

"Garcia."

"Sir, please, hear me out. My job overlapped with JJ's the most. I created that program that she used to present cases. When you guys were out in the field, she coordinated your needs through me. It makes sense."

"Garcia, there are aspects of the job for which you have no training."

"You're totally right, but I'm willing to learn. I'll learn how to react with families and local law enforcement and the media. Sir, I'm willing to tone down my wardrobe choices. I'm ready to make that sacrifice if you just please give me a chance."

"All right. We could explore this on a trial basis. We'll see how things go."

After she fudged up in the field, or that she felt like she messed up, she went back to doing what she did best. Being a support for Hotch. She didn't want him to take on too much responsibility that he had been known to do once one of their team members left.

One evening, after the team left on a case, she went to close her office down before she went to pick Jack up from Jessica. That's when she noticed the vase of flowers. Smiling she sniffed them and thinking them from her favorite Chocolate God, she picked up the card and was pleasantly surprised.

"Thank you for all you do. I don't know what I'd do without you. Aaron."

Garcia turned out her lights, smiling.

 **END.**

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